Plant celebrities take to the red carpet

Photographer Jonathan Singer says he gets his shots of orchids and other extraordinary plants first time every time, giving each its moment in the spotlight. A collection of his photographs is published in Botanica Magnifica, out now.

Jade vine

Strongylodon macrobotrys is a member of the pea family which grows in the Filipino rainforest.

Its natural habitat is under threat, but the plant is cultivated elsewhere because its jade-coloured flowers are highly prized and used to make decorative garlands.

Its unusual colour is shared by only a handful of other plants.

(Image: From Botanica Magnifica, photographs by Jonathan Singer, published by Abbeville Press)

Grand Dendrobium

This could be some kind of many-legged sea creature but actually it's a member of the orchid family – Dendrobium spectabile.

Orchids are notoriously hard to photograph because they tend to have complex parts that are sometimes difficult to capture – hairs, warts and satiny textures or reflective cells, says Marc Hachadourian, the botanist who co-wrote the captions for the book.

The grand Dendrobium is native to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in the south-west Pacific, and can grow up to 1 metre in height.

(Image: From Botanica Magnifica, photographs by Jonathan Singer, published by Abbeville Press)

Giant Amazon water lily

This plant is formally known as Victoria amazonica: it was named in honour of the newly crowned Queen Victoria in 1837.

The water lily's flower was also one of Singer's subjects: since it only flowers in the dark, one of the authors had to go night-swimming in the lake of the New York Botanical Garden to retrieve both the flower and leaf.

The leaves can grow up to 9 metres across and a whole plant can span 16 metres.

(Image: From Botanica Magnifica, photographs by Jonathan Singer, published by Abbeville Press)

Wild rock banana

This is the common banana's weird cousin (Ensete superbum) and grows in India, Thailand and Burma.

The photo shows the tip of the flowering stalk at the top of the plant.

The leaf-like structures are bracts, inside which a row of flowers grows, although none can be seen here.

The dried bracts closer to the stem produced flowers days ago and have since shrivelled up.

The yellowish-brown ones are fresh and will open to reveal new flowers.

(Image: From Botanica Magnifica, photographs by Jonathan Singer, published by Abbeville Press)

King's sceptre

This plant (Alpinia platychilus) is a member of the ginger family which grows in China.

It is known as a "shell ginger'" because the bright red and yellow flowers emerge from shiny, waxy sheaths which protect the petals until the flower is ready to be pollenated.

The plant is regarded as one of the most impressive of the gingers and can grow up to 4 metres tall.

(Image: From Botanica Magnifica, photographs by Jonathan Singer, published by Abbeville Press)

Ombú

These little green pods are the fruit of the Ombú tree (Phytolacca dioica) that grows in the pampas of Brazil and Argentina.

It is related to the pokeweed plant found in North America but can grow to a gigantic size: up to 20nbsp;metres tall and 15 metres wide.

The trees are often found in inhospitable places but are able to survive thanks to their spongy wood's water-storing capacities.

Because of the Ombú's soft bark it is often used to make bonsai trees: it can be easily manipulated into the desired form.

(Image: From Botanica Magnifica, photographs by Jonathan Singer, published by Abbeville Press)

Gaping Dutchman's pipe

Aristolochia ringens is native to the tropical Americas but the genus is found all around the world, except in Australia.

The flowers are highly scented and attract flies, which fall into the pipe part of the flower.

The hairs on the inside of the pipe then wither, allowing the flies to crawl out, covered in pollen.

(Image: From Botanica Magnifica, photographs by Jonathan Singer, published by Abbeville Press)

Snail vine

Vigna caracalla takes its common name from its highly fragrant, snail-shaped flowers.

It is a member of the pea family and grows in South America.

(Image: From Botanica Magnifica, photographs by Jonathan Singer, published by Abbeville Press)

Silver Memories hibiscus

Hibiscus flowers are the national flowers of Malaysia and are a common sight in most tropical countries.

In Hawaii, woman wear them tucked behind the ear in different ways to indicate whether they are married or not.

(Image: From Botanica Magnifica, photographs by Jonathan Singer, published by Abbeville Press)